Pakistan hockey captain Ammad Shakeel Butt has admitted that he misled the public about the team’s difficult experience in Sydney during the second leg of the FIH Hockey Pro League. Shortly after a video showing the players stranded on Sydney streets went viral, Butt released another video claiming everything was fine. However, upon returning to Lahore, he confessed that the team management had pressured him to cover up the truth to protect Pakistan’s image.
The Pakistan team faced a series of logistical nightmares in Australia. Upon arrival in Sydney, the players were left waiting for 12–15 hours near the Opera Street due to cancelled hotel bookings, reportedly because the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) had not cleared the payments. The team eventually secured local accommodation, but the players were forced to cook their own meals, wash dishes, clean bedrooms, and perform daily chores even on matchdays. Butt described the situation as “deeply humiliating,” adding that such conditions affected the team’s mental well-being and performance.
Despite the ordeal, Butt expressed pride in the players’ resilience, though he pointed to serious mismanagement by both the PHF and the team management. He revealed conflicting information from officials regarding fund release, stating, “I don’t know whether the Sports Board is at fault or the Pakistan Hockey Federation is at fault. But one thing is certain — our team management has lied to us repeatedly.” The fiasco has sparked further concerns about the state of Pakistan hockey, which has faced unpaid dues and internal conflicts during recent international tours.
With no manager in place after the ousting of Olympian Anjum Saeed, Pakistan hockey continues to face turbulence, highlighting urgent governance and management reforms needed to protect the players and safeguard the sport’s reputation internationally.
